Inside Story

What is the future for UN and aid organisations in Afghanistan?

The United Nations is assessing the future of its mission in Afghanistan after the Taliban banned women from working.

Decades of war since the 1970s have left Afghanistan in a dire humanitarian crisis. Around 97 percent of its people live in poverty, while 28 million need aid just to survive this year.

Since it returned to power in August 2021, the Taliban has introduced a series of curbs on women’s freedoms, including a ban on women working.

The United Nations says that is unacceptable because it threatens the work of aid agencies.

Senior UN officials have been meeting this week in Doha and Kabul – without the Taliban – to decide on the future of the mission.

What’s next for Afghans?

Presenter: 

Adrian Finighan

Guests: 

James Bays – Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor

Mina Sharif – Afghan rights activist

Obaidullah Baheer – Lecturer in transitional justice at the American University of Afghanistan